The Waiting Game: What Happens After You Hit Submit

Your student has poured their energy into applications, hit “submit,” and now… the waiting begins. For many families, this in-between stage can feel just as stressful as the lead-up to deadlines. What’s really happening behind the scenes? How are colleges reviewing files? And what do those deferrals, emails, or financial aid timelines actually mean?

I’ve been on both sides of this process—as a parent supporting students through the waiting game, and as an admissions professional at the University of Chicago who helped make these very decisions. I know how much mystery surrounds this part of the journey, and I want to help you feel more grounded and informed in the months ahead.

That’s why I’m launching this blog series: “The Waiting Game: What Happens After You Hit Submit.” Each week, I’ll unpack one of the questions families ask most often:

• Deferred — Now What? Why schools defer students, what it signals, and how to respond strategically.

• Yield and Yield Management: Why colleges care about enrollment numbers, and how it can impact your student’s outcome.

• Behind the Curtain: How Admissions Offices Read Files: From minutes-long reads to committee discussions—and my own perspective as someone who’s been in the room.

• Shaping a Class in Today’s Landscape: How institutional priorities, changing laws, and long-term school performance shape decisions beyond GPA and test scores.

• Merit Aid vs. Financial Aid: When to expect award notifications, what the differences mean, and how to compare offers.

My goal is to replace stress with clarity. The more you understand what’s happening behind the scenes, the more you can support your student with calm and confidence.

Stay tuned for the first post in the series: “Deferred — Now What?”